Rasmussen aiming for Maglia Rosa and a place in history

Garmin Barracuda’s Alex Rasmussen knows that the American squad is favourite to win today’s team time trial at the Giro d’Italia, but is also aware that he can make history too.

The multiple track world champion is currently sitting third overall, thirteen seconds behind Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing Team), who will ride today’s 32.2 kilometre race two days after crashing heavily in the finale of stage three.

Sandwiched between them is the Welshman Geraint Thomas (Sky Procycling), who is nine seconds off the lead.

The Garmin Barracuda squad specializes in the group event and picked up victory in the team time trial in last year’s Tour de France. Its riders performed very strongly in the opening time trial in this year’s Giro, with Rasmussen third,
Ramunas Navardauskas sixth, Robbie Hunter thirteenth, Ryder Hesjedal 17th, Tyler Farrar 29th, Sébastien Rosseler 41st, Christian Vande Velde 50th and Peter Stetina 52nd.

The combined results were better than those of other teams, and indicates that the American WorldTour team is the favourite today.

“What is important is that we go out and win the team time trial and then we see what it ends up afterwards,” Rasmussen told Sporten.tv2.dk. “But I’m keeping in mind that it could happen that I get a pink jersey.”

If so, Rasmussen will be the first rider from his country to wear the Maglia Rosa. He tried to make history when the race started on home soil on Saturday, but Phinney and Thomas prevented that from happening.

"It will mean a lot,” he said, thinking about the chance to take it now. “I'm sorry that I could not have it in Denmark. But to take it now would be a good revenge.”

He agreed that Phinney’s crash and the stitches and bruising to his foot could impact on the BMC Racing Team’s chances of holding on at the top. “It could certainly mean that they are weakened. [But] I would say that it is not something we should be thinking about. We are going out to do the best time trial we can,” he said, indicating that the team would focus on its own performance rather than that of other teams.

"The route is good for us and we have a strong and united team. I think we have a good chance.”